During September–October 2000 a salvage excavation was conducted north of Tel Tanim (Tell el-Wawiyat; License No. B-213/00; map ref. NIG 2550/7900; OIG 2050/2900; HA–ESI 115), prior to the expansion of the Qiryat Shemona airport. The excavation, on behalf of the the Recanati Institute of Maritime Studies of the University of Haifa and the Archaeological Engineering Services (AES) Company, Ltd., was directed by G. Tsioni, assisted by S. ‘Ad (find drawing).
Three separate squares (75 sq m) were opened on a spur north of Tel Tanim, revealing the remains of what appears to be a single settlement layer, dating to Early Bronze Age II–III. A wall (length 3.2 m) with a corner at either end, which probably formed part of a small room, was exposed in the southern square. The middle square contained remains of other walls and a circular installation built of large stones. The northern square consisted of a stone-pebble pavement and remains of more walls. Other remains from the settlement were visible on surface.
The ceramic finds included mainly fragments of metallic ware pottery vessels, dating to EB II–III (Biran A., Ilan D. and Greenberg R. 1996. Dan I, p. 105) and a few sherds from EB I. Flint artifacts that indicate the site was inhabited intermittently prior to the Early Bronze Age were also recovered.